You Call This SoHo? Okay, I’m Listening. Review: Green Lemon (South Tampa)

Review: Green Lemon (South Tampa)

Let’s address the elephant in the room immediately. My Tampa friends told me we were going to "SoHo" for dinner.

As a New Yorker, "SoHo" means cobblestone streets, cast-iron buildings, and tourists walking too slow on Broadway. In Tampa, apparently, "SoHo" stands for South Howard Avenue. I wanted to roll my eyes. I wanted to make a joke about how cute it is that they tried.

But then I walked into Green Lemon, and honestly? I shut up pretty quick.

If Taco Dirty (which I tried last week) is the spot you grab a quick lunch at before rushing back to the office, Green Lemon is where you go when you’re ready to cause a little trouble.

The Vibe: Loud, Just How I Like It

New York restaurants are loud. We talk over each other, we yell over the subway rumbling underneath, we thrive in chaos. Green Lemon has that energy.

You walk in, and the DJ is already spinning. The neon sign on the wall says "I Didn't Call You, Tequila Did." It’s cheesy, sure, but it’s self-aware. The place is packed. It’s got that electric buzz of a Friday night in the Meatpacking District, but everyone is wearing shorts because... Florida.

The Drinks: They Weren’t Kidding

The website claims they serve "Strong Margaritas." In New York, "strong" usually means "we put a splash of extra sour mix in it." I ordered the Classic Marg.

First sip? Okay. Respect.

They aren’t watering this down for the tourists. It’s got a kick. I saw a table nearby tackling something called a "Margona"—a frozen margarita with a whole Corona bottle upside down in it. It looked like a hangover waiting to happen, and I saluted them for it. If you’re coming here, don’t plan on driving. Uber is your friend.

The Food: "Street Fare" with a flaire

The menu calls it "Fresh Mexican-Inspired Street Fare." Now, in NYC, "street fare" means a halal cart on 53rd and 6th or a taco truck in Jackson Heights.

This isn’t that. This is polished. This is "we have a culinary degree" street food.

I went for the Street Trio because I have commitment issues and wanted to try three different things.

  1. The Gigante Chicken: This is basically a Buffalo wing had a baby with a taco. Fried chicken (Gluten-Free again? These Ciccio guys are obsessed with healthy frying, and I’m not mad about it), buffalo sauce, blue cheese. It’s messy. It’s aggressive. It’s delicious.

  2. Rey Del Mar: Tuna on a taco? usually a risk. But this was seared rare and had this mango slaw that cut right through the heat. It felt... fresh. Like, actually fresh, not "thawed yesterday" fresh.

  3. Carne Asada: The standard test. If you can’t do steak, go home. It was solid. Good char, good marinade.

The Service

In New York, service is "I’ll bring you your food, don’t ask me how my day is." Here, the staff is terrifyingly nice. High energy, fast moving. My drink never went empty, which is the only metric I actually care about.

The Verdict

Green Lemon isn’t an authentic, hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint. If you’re looking for someone’s abuela rolling tortillas in the back, this isn’t it.

This is a party that serves food. It’s loud, it’s brash, and the tequila pours are heavy. It reminds me a bit of the high-energy spots in the Lower East Side, just with better tan lines and more humidity.

So, fine, Tampa. You can have your "SoHo." If it tastes like this, I won’t argue with you.

Rating: 9/10 (mostly for the heavy hand on the tequila pour).

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